


if you think i'm pretty/you should see me in a crown

by notjodie-other (notjodieyet)



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, I haven't read these books in ages, Mentioned Nina Zenik, Spoilers for Ruin & Rising, good luck to me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25406995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjodieyet/pseuds/notjodie-other
Summary: 3 times nikolai lanstov forgot he was king + 1 time zoya forgot she was queen.or, my first grishaverse fic in forever, forgive me for glitchy canon.
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	if you think i'm pretty/you should see me in a crown

_**1.** _

Nikolai leaned back on his chair, his heels on the table. 

Zoya watched him carefully, but didn’t say a word. It was, most likely, an old, famous heirloom, but she’d kicked enough shots of vodka back not to care. “Your boots, Nikky,” she slurred. She had never called him that before, and she hoped Morning Zoya wouldn’t remember it.  _ Sober _ Zoya.  _ Smart  _ Zoya.

He looked up at her with his impossibly charming eyes and said, “Mah boots?”

“They’re, uh. They need cleaning,” said Zoya. “You gotta clean your boots. Nobody takes a man seriously if he doesn’t…” She blinked, the effects of the alcohol in full swing. “Boots, Nikolai,” she decided to say, shaking her head sagely.

“I could make David make a boot cleaning… machine,” said Nikolai. He ran a hand through his already perfectly tousled hair. Zoya thought privately that he was probably the most beautiful person in the world. Morning Zoya would be very, very mad at her. “Oh yeah. I’m a _ prince _ . He’s gotta listen to me.”

Zoya shook her head, trying to dispel the bottle of vodka in her stomach. “You’re a king, Nik,” she said. “Nikkie. Nik.  _ King _ Nik.”

Nikolai frowned to himself. “Huh,” he said, and offered no further comment.

**_2._ **

“You know,” said Zoya, leaning on Nikolai’s desk, and grinning toothily. “You can’t name a road after yourself. It’s very suspicious.”

Nikolai didn’t bother to look up from his paperwork. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, Commander. Can this wait until later? I’m very busy.”

“It cannot.” Zoya watched the movements of his ungloved hands, the black scarring blatantly evident on his fingers. She hated the Darkling every day, but that spark flared inside her whenever she thought about what he’d done to her king. Her country. 

“Privateer Sturmhond is a very important man, you know. He turned the tides of the war.” Nikolai signed a document with a flick of his wrist. “He’s also  _ very  _ handsome. Ooh, perhaps a statue is in order?”

“No,” said Zoya. “No statue, no road. Maybe…” She looked down at the paper Nikolai had just signed. In a scrawling hand, it said,  _ PRINCE NIKOLAI LANTSOV OF RAVKA.  _

“Maybe?” said Nikolai, as hopeful as a puppy seeing his owner dangle a favorite toy.

“Maybe a library,” said Zoya vaguely, having forgotten what she’d meant to say. “And you’re a  _ king _ , Nikolai.”

“Right,” he said. “I’ll have somebody make up a new one.”

**_3._ **

One night, Zoya found her king sitting in the gardens, staring wearily up at the stars. He whispered something to himself, but whether it was a song or a story or something else Zoya couldn’t quite tell.

“It’s cold,” said Zoya. This  _ kefta  _ was lined with fur that kept her snug and warm, but Nikolai’s clothes had no such protection. They were meant for indoor events, events where a noble might ooh and ahh at the Lantsovs’ sudden, apparent wealth. Lantsov’s, that was. There weren’t exactly any more.

“Is it,” said Nikolai flippantly. “I hadn’t noticed.” There was no shift in tone to imply his words were sarcasm, but Zoya presumed they were. It was a safe presumption, she thought, especially considering the wicked wind that picked up every few minutes to rustle flowers and leaves.

Zoya sat down beside him. She did not mean to offer useless platitudes, or false flattery, or any sort of comfort at all. Simply her own presence. “Genya wanted…”

Nikolai shushed her. “Not now. Let me have a minute without my duties, Commander.”

Zoya did not respond. 

“I know my responsibilities. I know the country’s fate rests on my shoulders. I know I’m a prince who —”

“King,” said Zoya quietly.

Nikolai licked his lips, and for a minute Zoya expected another outburst. Instead, he just muttered, “Fuck,” and then “Fuck” again, and then, “King.  _ King _ .”

Zoya studied their surroundings, plunged into black by the night.

“Thank you,” said Nikolai. “King.”

_**\+ 4** _

“Officer Zenik,” said Zoya, inspecting Nina with the sort of cold intensity she offered only her most favored soldiers. “Do you understand your mission?”

From his perspective leaning against the far wall, Nikolai smirked. Zoya knew it was meant as a distraction, but today, she did not indulge him. She focused on Nina Zenik, standing before her. She focused on her duty.

“Yes, Zoya,” said Nina, nodding her head so hard Zoya was almost worried it was going to fall off, along with her burnt caramel curls and the freshly cut bangs across her forehead. 

“Commander,” Zoya corrected. She gave a brisk nod in return, to dismiss the officer.

Nikolai chucked, a sound that rang across the room. 

Nina fidgeted, uncharacteristically… nervous? Upset? Perhaps simply plagued with boredom. 

“What is it?” said Zoya. She cared very little for Nina’s love life (Hanne annoyed her), emotions (Nina had other people to talk to), or pointless questions (Zoya had better things to do). Zoya tsked. 

“Commander… Nazyalensky. You said  _ Commander. _ ”

“And?”

“You’re a  _ queen _ ,” shouted Nikolai, mirth in his voice. “ _ Queen _ Nazyalensky.”

Zoya smiled to herself, and adjusted her collar. “Ah. Yes. Queen, Zenik. If you will.”

“Yes, Queen Nazyalensky.” 


End file.
